Flanged hub



Feb. 14, 1950 v. E. sPRoUsE FLANGED HUB Filed Aug. 19, 1946 Patented Feb. 14, 195o UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE FLANGED HUB Verner E. Sprouse, Columbus, Ind. Application August 19, 1946, Serial No. 691,603 4 claims.' (ci. 17o- 173) This invention relates to hubsv adapted for use the strength and rigidity of a unitary hub but which can be manufactured at lower cost.

In carrying out my invention, I form' the hub of two pieces, one a sheet-metal stamping and the other a bushing. The stamping is generally cup-shaped, has a cylindrical body within which the bushing has a press iit, and is provided at its open end with the annular flange to which the hub-mounted element may be secured, The bushing is located within the body of the cup but projects therefrom axially beyond the outer face of the hub-flange. Desirably, the bushing, after being pressed into the hub, is welded, brazed, or soldered in place, and the projecting end of the hub is machined, as in a lathe, to provide an outwardly presented concentric surface adapted to serve as a pilot for the hub-mounted element. The outer face of the hub-flange may be faced at the same time the projecting end of the hub is turned in order to provide it with a surface accurately normal to the hub-axis.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a hub embodying my invention, the single figure is a side elevation in partial section of a hub.

The hub shown in the drawing comprises a sheet-metal stamping drawn into a general cupshape to provide a cylindrical body I0, an end Wall I I at one end of the body, and an outwardly projecting annular flange I2 at the other end of the body. A bushing I5 has a press fit Within the cylindrical body I0, seats against the bottom Wall I I, and projects axially beyond the open end of the cup as indicated at I6.

After the stamping and the bushing have been assembled by pressing the bushing into the body, they are further secured togetherv by welding, brazing, or soldering. Preferably, the junction of the cylindrical hub-body I0 and the flange I2 has a considerable radius, so that when the hub and bushing are assembled an annular groove Il of general V-shaped cross section will be provided around the projecting portion of the bushing. This groove forms a convenient channel for the reception of solder, spelter, or weld-metal. Preferably, the reaming or other nal finishing oper- 2 ation on the bore of the bushing I5 is performed after the bushing has been secured in the body- I0. After the bushing and stamping have been assembled, a set-screw hole I8 is drilled and tapped. I

The assembly is then placed in a lathe and the exterior of the projecting bushing-portion I6 is turned to be accurately concentric with the bushing-bore; and, at the same time, the outer face 2li of the flange I2 is faced to be accurately normal to the bushing-bore. Prior to assembly of the bushing and stamping, the bottom wall II of the stamping may be punched to provide a hole 2| which is desirably slightly larger than the bore of the bushing in order to avoid the necessity of machining it after assembly has occurred.

The element to be mounted on the hub, in this case a fan 25 shown in dotted lines, is located radially by being provided with an axial opening receiving the pilot IB and is secured against the flange-face 20, as by screws 26. While I have shown the hub as employed to support a fan, it will be obvious that it can be used equally well in the mounting of other elements. If the hub and the element mounted upon it are not to rotate with a shaft received in the bushing-bore, the set-screw hole I8 may of course be omitted.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a rotatable element having an axial bore and an end face perpendicular to the axis of said bore; ahub for supporting said rotatable element, said hub comprising a sheetmetal stamping having a generally cylindrical, hollow body portion, an annular flange extending radially outwardly at one end of said body portion, a second annular flange extending radially inwardly at the other end of said body portion; a. bushing securedflwitln'n said body portion, one end oi' said bushingL abutting said inwardly extending flange and-the opposite bushing-end projecting axially beyond the outwardly extending flange, a face on the projecting portion of said bushing coplanar with the outer face of said outwardly extending flange, and a reduced diameter end on said projecting portion of said bushing, said reduced diameter end fitting within the bore of said rotatable element with the said ilange face engaging said end face of the rotatable element.

2. A composite hub for mounting a centrally bored fan element, comprising a member having a generally cylindrical, hollow body portion dening an axial bore therein, an annular abutment flange extending in part radially inwardly across said bore at one end of said body portion, a

second annular flange extending outwardly at the other end of said body portion, and a bushing having a press t within said body portion and being secured thereto, said bushing being seated at one end against said abutment flange and extending therefrom through said bore to project axially at its other end beyond the said second liange, the projecting portion of said bushing having an axially yextending surface concentric with the axis .of said bushing and a radially extending face coplanar with said second ange.

3. A fan spider and a composite hub therefor, said hub comprising a sheet-metal stamping haV- ing a generally cylindrical, hollow body portion, 'an annular ange extending inwardly :at Aone end of said body portion, a second annular flange extending outwardly at the other end of said body portion, and a bushing secured Within said body portion, said bushing seating against the rst named flange and projecting axially outward beyond the last named Harige, the projecting portion of said bushing entering said spider to center it on `said bushing, and said spider'bearing axially against said last named ange.

4. A fan spider having a central bore and a composite hub for mounting the spider, said hub comprising a sheet-metal stamping having a generally cylindrical, hollow body portion, an vannular flange extending inwardly at one end of said body portion, a second `annular iiange extending outwardly at the other end of Said body portion,

and a bushing secured Within said body portion and seating against said first named flange, said bushing projecting axially beyond the last named flange, a shoulder on the projecting portion of said bushing in the plane of the outer face of said last named flange for locating the spider axially of the bushing to have the spider bear adjacent the periphery of said bore against the shoulder and xover an outer radial portion against said ange.

VERNER E. SPROUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Great Britain Sept. 15, y1936' 

